Cost of living in Pacific Grove research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Pacific Grove is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Pacific Grove is 203, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Pacific Grove is 2.0x higher than the national average.
Pacific Grove ranks as the #533 cheapest in California out of 634.
Pacific Grove ranks as the #6,330 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Pacific Grove is $1,372,602.
The median income in Pacific Grove is $105,568.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Pacific Grove has an overall cost of living index of 203, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Pacific Grove has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Pacific Grove ranks as #533 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Pacific Grove ranks as the #101 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Pacific Grove, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Pacific Grove. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Pacific Grove is 109.
The Groceries index in Pacific Grove is 117.
The Health index in Pacific Grove is 121.
The Housing index in Pacific Grove is 402.
The Transportation index in Pacific Grove is 128.
The Utilities index in Pacific Grove is 130.
| Living Expense | Pacific Grove | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 203 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 117 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 121 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 402 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 128 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 130 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Pacific Grove is $1,372,602.
The Median Rent in Pacific Grove is $2,384.
The Median Income in Pacific Grove is $105,568.
The Home Value To Income in Pacific Grove is 13.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Pacific Grove is 0.27x.
| Statistic | Pacific Grove | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,372,602 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,384 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $105,568 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 13.0x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Pacific Grove | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.66 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.31 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $33.3 | $18 |
| Haircut | $33.94 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $48.51 | $45.56 |
| Item | Pacific Grove | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.79 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.13 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.05 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.77 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.92 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.99 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 |
| Item | Pacific Grove | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | Pacific Grove | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
| Item | Pacific Grove | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Pacific Grove. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Salinas, CA has a cost of living index of 149, 0.7x Pacific Grove.
Seaside, CA has a cost of living index of 162, 0.8x Pacific Grove.
Monterey, CA has a cost of living index of 190, 0.9x Pacific Grove.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Pacific Grove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | 161,993 | 149 | 0.7x |
| Seaside, CA | 31,964 | 162 | 0.8x |
| Monterey, CA | 29,772 | 190 | 0.9x |
| Marina, CA | 22,324 | 159 | 0.8x |
| Prunedale, CA | 19,286 | 165 | 0.8x |
| Castroville, CA | 6,870 | 158 | 0.8x |